Automated 3D scene reconstruction from open geospatial data sources: airborne laser scanning and a 2D topographic database

Open geospatial data sources provide opportunities for low cost 3D scene reconstruction. In this study, based on a sparse airborne laser scanning (ALS) point cloud (0.8 points/m2) obtained from open source databases, a building reconstruction pipeline for CAD building models was developed. The pipeline includes voxel-based roof patch segmentation, extraction of the key-points representing the roof patch outline, step edge identification and adjustment, and CAD building model generation. The advantages of our method lie in generating CAD building models without the step of enforcing the edges to be parallel or building regularization. Furthermore, although it has been challenging to use sparse datasets for 3D building reconstruction, our result demonstrates the great potential in such applications. In this paper, we also investigated the applicability of open geospatial datasets for 3D road detection and reconstruction. Road central lines were acquired from an open source 2D topographic database. ALS data were utilized to obtain the height and width of the road. A constrained search method (CSM) was developed for road width detection. The CSM method was conducted by splitting a given road into patches according to height and direction criteria. The road edges were detected patch by patch. The road width was determined by the average distance from the edge points to the central line. As a result, 3D roads were reconstructed from ALS and a topographic database

Päiväkodin johtajien käsityksiä työntekijöiden vahvuuksien tunnistamisesta ja hyödyntämisestä

Tiivistelmä. Tutkimuksemme tarkoituksena on selvittää, millaisia käsityksiä päiväkodin johtajilla on työntekijöiden vahvuuksien tunnistamiseen ja hyödyntämiseen, sekä niiden hyödyntämisen merkityksiin liittyen. Lasten ja nuorten parissa vahvuusajattelu on hyvin pinnalla, joten tutkimuksemme tarkoituksena oli selvittää, hyödynnetäänkö vahvuuksia myös työyhteisön tasolla johtajan näkökulmasta. Tutkimuskysymyksemme ovat: 1. Millaisia käsityksiä päiväkodin johtajilla on työntekijöiden vahvuuksien tunnistamisesta ja hyödyntämisestä? Ja 2. Millaisia käsityksiä päiväkodin johtajilla on työntekijöiden vahvuuksien tunnistamisen ja hyödyntämisen merkityksestä? Teoreettinen viitekehyksemme sijoittuu positiiviseen psykologiaan ja vahvuuksiin yleisesti sekä osana johtamista. Toteutimme tutkimuksemme parityönä fenomenografista tutkimusmetodia ja analyysiä hyödyntäen. Tutkimuksemme aineistona toimii teemahaastatteluaineisto, joka koostuu kuuden päiväkodinjohtajan haastattelusta. Haastatteluiden perusteella saimme kattavasti tietoa siitä, miten työntekijöiden vahvuuksia tunnistetaan ja hyödynnetään ja millaisia merkityksiä niihin sisältyy. Vahvuuksia tunnistetaan johtajien toimesta arjen tilanteissa perustyön ohessa, mutta myös tietoisesti keskustelemalla, kuten kehityskeskusteluissa. Myös erilaiset vahvuuksien tunnistamisen välineet olivat käytössä. Johtajat hyödynsivät vahvuuksia päiväkodeissa rekrytointitilanteissa, ryhmien muodostamisessa sekä henkilöstön tiimien että pedagogisen osaamisen kannalta. Vahvuuksien kautta pyrittiin vaikuttamaan myös koko työyhteisön ja tiimin toimivuuteen. Vahvuuksien hyödyntäminen nousi esiin myös erilaisissa erityistilanteissa arjen tilanteiden ohessa. Myös erilaisia vastuutehtäviä jaettiin työntekijöille heidän vahvuuksiensa perusteella. Työntekijöiden vahvuuksia hyödynnettiin päiväkodeissa myös kehittämisen näkökulmasta. Johtajat näkivät vahvuuksien hyödyntämisellä olevan merkityksiä niin yksilön, yhteisön kuin yhteiskunnankin tasolla. Tutkimuksemme tarjosi arvokasta tietoa siitä, että varhaiskasvatuksessa hyödynnetään myös työntekijöiden vahvuuksia pinnalla olevan lasten vahvuuksien tunnistamisen lisäksi. Työhyvinvoinnin näkökulma nousi esiin merkittävänä tekijänä vahvuuksien hyödyntämisen merkityksen kannalta. Vaikka työntekijöiden vahvuuksien hyödyntämistä ei ole varhaiskasvatuskontekstissa vielä tutkittu paljon, tutkielmamme antaa viitteitä siitä, että työntekijöiden vahvuuksia huomioimalla varhaiskasvatuksen työyhteisöihin voidaan vaikuttaa positiivisesti

Preregistration Classification of Mobile LIDAR Data Using Spatial Correlations

We explore a novel paradigm for light detection and ranging (LIDAR) point classification in mobile laser scanning (MLS). In contrast to the traditional scheme of performing classification for a 3-D point cloud after registration, our algorithm operates on the raw data stream classifying the points on-the-fly before registration. Hence, we call it preregistration classification (PRC). Specifically, this technique is based on spatial correlations, i.e., local range measurements supporting each other. The proposed method is general since exact scanner pose information is not required, nor is any radiometric calibration needed. Also, we show that the method can be applied in different environments by adjusting two control parameters, without the results being overly sensitive to this adjustment. As results, we present classification of points from an urban environment where noise, ground, buildings, and vegetation are distinguished from each other, and points from the forest where tree stems and ground are classified from the other points. As computations are efficient and done with a minimal cache, the proposed methods enable new on-chip deployable algorithmic solutions. Broader benefits from the spatial correlations and the computational efficiency of the PRC scheme are likely to be gained in several online and offline applications. These range from single robotic platform operations including simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms to wall-clock time savings in geoinformation industry. Finally, PRC is especially attractive for continuous-beam and solid-state LIDARs that are prone to output noisy data

Power line mapping technique using all-terrain mobile laser scanning

Power line mapping using remote sensing can automate the traditionally labor-intensive power line corridor inspection. Land-based mobile laser scanning (MLS) can be a good choice for the power line mapping if an aerial inspection is impossible, too costly or slow, unsafe, prohibited by regulations, or if more detailed information on the power line corridor is needed. The mapping of the power lines using MLS was studied in a rural environment outside the road network for the first time. An automatic power line extraction algorithm was developed. The algorithm first found power line candidate points based on the shape and orientation of the local neighborhood of a point using principal component analysis. Power lines were retrieved from the candidates using random sample consensus (Ransac) and a new power line labeling method, which takes into account the three-dimensional shape of the power lines. The new labeling method was able to find the power lines and remove false detections, which were found, for example, from the forest. The algorithm was tested in forested and open field (arable land) areas, outside the road environment using two different platforms of MLS, namely, personal backpack and all-terrain vehicle. The recall and precision of the power line extraction were 93.3% and 93.6%, respectively, using 10 cm as a distance criterion for a successful detection. Drifting of the positioning solution of the scanner was the largest error source, being the (contributory) cause for 60–70% of the errors. The platform did not have a significant effect on the power line extraction accuracy. The accuracy was higher in the open field compared to the forest, because the one-dimensional point density along the power line was inhomogeneous and GNSS (global navigation satellite system) signal was weak in the forest. The results suggest that the power lines can be mapped accurately enough for inspection purposes using MLS in a rural environment outside the road network.</p

Health-Related Quality of Life in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients Treated with Curative Resection and/or Local Ablative Therapy or Systemic Therapy in the Finnish RAXO-Study

Simple Summary Metastatic colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death. Long-term survival and cure can be achieved after intensive treatments, including metastasectomy, i.e., the removal of all metastases. We wanted to clarify whether a patient health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was reduced by treatments that aimed to maximise metastasectomy rates, and whether HRQoL of treated patients is comparable to the general population. In a cross-sectional study of 444 patients (1751 questionnaires) in the RAXO-study population, we show that HRQoL of intensively treated patients, sometimes with multiple and multisite metastasectomies-usually combined with systemic therapy-remains at a high level during and after curative treatment and when compared with the general population. Good HRQoL was also seen during non-curative treatment from first- to later-lines, with an impaired HRQoL only at end-of-life. Thus, we should aim at maximising metastasectomies since they give long-term survival and sometimes cure with a high HRQoL. Metastasectomy and/or local ablative therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients often provide long-term survival. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data in curatively treated mCRC are limited. In the RAXO-study that evaluated repeated resectability, a multi-cross-sectional HRQoL substudy with 15D, EQ-5D-3L, QLQ-C30, and QLQ-CR29 questionnaires was conducted. Mean values of patients in different treatment groups were compared with age- and gender-standardized general Finnish populations. The questionnaire completion rate was 444/477 patients (93%, 1751 questionnaires). Mean HRQoL was 0.89-0.91 with the 15D, 0.85-0.87 with the EQ-5D, 68-80 with the EQ-5D-VAS, and 68-79 for global health status during curative treatment phases, with improvements in the remission phase (disease-free >18 months). In the remission phase, mean EQ-5D and 15D scores were similar to the general population. HRQoL remained stable during first- to later-line treatments, when the aim was no longer cure, and declined notably when tumour-controlling therapy was no longer meaningful. The symptom burden affecting mCRC survivors' well-being included insomnia, impotence, urinary frequency, and fatigue. Symptom burden was lower after treatment and slightly higher, though stable, through all phases of systemic therapy. HRQoL was high in curative treatment phases, further emphasizing the strategy of metastasectomy in mCRC when clinically meaningful.</p

Resectability, conversion, metastasectomy and outcome according to RAS and BRAF status for metastatic colorectal cancer in the prospective RAXO study

Background Outcomes after metastasectomy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) vary with RAS and BRAF mutational status, but their effects on resectability and conversion rates have not been extensively studied. Methods This substudy of the prospective RAXO trial included 906 patients recruited between 2011 and 2018. We evaluated repeated centralised resectability assessment, conversion/resection rates and overall survival (OS), according to RAS and BRAF status. Results Patients included 289 with RAS and BRAF wild-type (RAS and BRAFwt), 529 with RAS mutated (RASmt) and 88 with BRAF mutated (BRAFmt) mCRC. Metastatic prevalence varied between the RAS and BRAFwt/RASmt/BRAFmt groups, for liver (78%/74%/61%), lung (24%/35%/28%) and peritoneal (15%/15%/32%) metastases, respectively. Upfront resectability (32%/29%/15%), conversion (16%/13%/7%) and resection/local ablative therapy (LAT) rates (45%/37%/17%) varied for RASa and BRAFwt/RASmt/BRAFmt, respectively. Median OS for patients treated with resection/LAT (n = 342) was 83/69/30 months, with 5-year OS-rates of 67%/60%/24%, while systemic therapy-only patients (n = 564) had OS of 29/21/15 months with 5-year OS-rates of 11%/6%/2% in RAS and BRAFwt/RASmt/BRAFmt, respectively. Resection/LAT was associated with improved OS in all subgroups. Conclusions There were significant differences in resectability, conversion and resection/LAT rates according to RAS and BRAF status. OS was also significantly longer for RAS and BRAFwt versus either mutant. Patients only receiving systemic therapy had poorer long-term survival, with variation according to molecular status.</p

Global protected area expansion is compromised by projected land-use and parochialism

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